Former world No 4 Tim Henman believes it is “exciting” for Coco Gauff that she can still reach big finals despite not producing her best tennis.
Gauff was beaten in three sets by Aryna Sabalenka in the Miami Open final on Saturday, with the world No 1 battling her way to a 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 victory over the American.
However, despite her loss to Sabalenka, it was undoubtedly a positive tournament for Gauff, who reached the final in Miami for the first time and progressed to her first final of 2026.
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The American’s run to the championship match at the WTA 1000 event came just weeks after she was forced to retire with an arm injury in Indian Wells, and following a challenging start to 2026.
Gauff’s game, in particular her serve and her forehand, has repeatedly come under scrutiny in recent years, and the 21-year-old was not at her best in either area during her Miami Open campaign.
However, the American was still able to fight her way into the final, with gritty three-set victories over Elisabetta Cocciaretto, Alycia Parks, Sorana Cirstea, and 12th seed Belinda Bencic on her way to the last four — where she dropped just two games against 13th seed Karolina Muchova.
Gauff will move back up to world No 3 in the WTA Rankings on Monday, overtaking Iga Swiatek, and is also the reigning French Open champion and a former champion at the US Open.
Speaking on Sky Sports following the final in Miami on Saturday, Henman claimed that Gauff could take huge encouragement from being able to consistently compete at the highest level, despite her technical flaws.
“I think if you go into a deeper dive, what is exciting for Coco Gauff is that there are so many areas of her game that she can do better,” said Henman.
“She is number three in the world, she has just made the final here, and that’s with a three-quarter first serve, a second serve she is just trying to get into the box, and a forehand that still looks as if it can break down.”
Gauff’s Miami Open run comes just before the start of the clay-court season, and the 21-year-old will be growing in confidence ahead of what has traditionally been one of the strongest parts of her season.
Clay has suited the American’s game across her career, with the French Open proving to be her strongest Grand Slam event.
She defeated Sabalenka in the final to triumph at the event in 2025, though she was also a runner-up to Iga Swiatek in 2022, and has reached at least the quarter-final in her last five appearances, dating back to 2021.
Gauff was also a Madrid Open and Italian Open runner-up in 2025, and looks set to be a force to be reckoned with on the dirt once again in 2026.
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